We’re talking about skateboards and all the related stuff here. Also, most young skaters are gamers. Our team is no exception. So in this article, we have to tell you about a new skateboarding game (simulator). And if you have a PlayStation 5 (or PlayStation 4), read our review of Session: Skate Sim.
Introduction
I spent over 20 hours in Session on my PS5. There were no particular brakes or crashes. Saw a few graphical bugs, but overall all is well. Also, if you have a PS5, we recommend visiting playstady.com. There are many useful articles on configuring the console and DualSense. If you’re interested, here’s a link to the home page.
As with every right-minded player growing up, we were exposed to games like the Tony Hawk games, and while they taught us a lot of skating culture – music, the clothing as well as the language, and the skaters themselves, it taught us just as much about sliding the way Super Mario Bros. taught us about plumbing. But, it was so popular that nearly every other extreme sports game followed its controls. Tony Hawk was king. But it didn’t. Following Tony Hawk Pro Skater 3, the series went through an unsteady, steady decline that left the market open for another contender.
EA, one of the biggest companies, launched the dazzling skate. In contrast to the endless combinations and thrilling escapades like those Tony Hawk games, this was more thoughtful and real. But unfortunately, the series featured three games (somewhat decreasing in their originality and impact as they progressed; however, they were always fantastic), and there was no more. So the skateboarding scene was gone for a time (or more so, because we had Activision making giddy Tony Hawk games).
However, things are now promising. The initial two Tony Hawk Pro Skater games were combined into a delicious remaster, and the SKATE game is back (albeit as a free-to-play game which isn’t ideal). However, Session may be the best and most intriguing game to come out of the blocks. It’s true. The session can be to SKATE the same thing that SKATE was for Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater. However, it raises realism to an almost brutal level.
A Complete Review of Session Skate Sim
In the first Session: Skate Sim, you’ll receive a small portion of a video tutorial that introduces you to the controls system, but more is needed. There will be references to YouTube video forums, social media, and other sources to assist you in getting comfortable with the system. In Session, each stick will control your skater’s feet. You’ll be required to perform fairly precise movements to perform the tricks you’d assume to be able to do during other skate games.
In reality, it will all feel foreign to you. When you use the left stick to control the left side of your foot, you’ll control your steering using your DualSense triggers. That’s weird. It’s very strange. It’s a way to move forward, and Y lets you get off the board so you can stroll around. At the beginning, or so, you’ll be doing that often since skating to different places is like a daunting task.
It’s an exercise in street skating without vert action. However, Rodney Mullen fans should refrain from getting excited since there won’t be any of the handstands flips he has done. Instead, this game is based on the basics, including manuals, kickflips, grinds, shove-its, laser flips, and more that make up your move arsenal. Unfortunately, from your THPS combos, where you can mix 900 with the reverts and 25 flips (all tied by various grinds), to a game that makes you feel like a kid at the park who fall onto their back trying to perform a kickflip is a serious limitation to your enjoyment early in the game.
As a simulation, it comes with a huge selection of options that you can utilize. They regulate every aspect of how you tighten your wheels, how your wheels smack into the deck, the height at which you pop the deck, how your weight affects the steering, and everything else a skater needs to consider. It’s not a game you can be very proficient in the first few minutes, and you must get that skill. Just look at the video. It’s a complete listing of possible options.
As for Session’s ability to simulate, The game is excellent. The only areas where things go differently are with the rest of the game. The overall meta-game setting could be a lot better. There are several instances of this, but all are considered negatives.
Skate Customization, Open World, and Tricks
As with every good skateboarding sport, you’ll make mistakes frequently. Particularly here, quarter turns, and tiny turns can make the difference between similar tricks. But the thing is, Session does not show you anything. It will not tell you where you’ve come across. There is no data, and you don’t get any actual feedback. This is fine for real-world realism but not great when you’ve tried the same trick 20 times and need to know what’s stopping you from making advance.
There are no scores to be displayed (or, in fact, any scores) with no evidence of your actions or other details on your virtual skates. This is really as if you were skating in real life. But in real life, cities are bustling and full of life. The settings featured in Session (based in New York, LA, and San Francisco) are oddly empty. There is a possibility to boost the number of pedestrians in the area. However, they’re just walking around like lemmings causing havoc. However, there aren’t any cars on the streets or even signs of life everywhere. It’s weird.
But all of it plays into Session’s stunning vision. The only thing important in this scenario is skating, and it’s so hard that any other activity is an unnecessary distraction. So apart from slithering around and doing tasks, your only option is to buy clothes or personalize your skate deck. Unfortunately, there are few alternatives to personalize your skater (for example, you can choose to wear a shaved hairstyle or be a hippie); however, you can purchase many different T-shirts.
Summary
This is a challenging game to summarize (in the sense that it’s our goal to give you an idea of whether or not to purchase this game). It’s easy to say, “don’t think that this game will be similar to Tony Hawk’s Tony Hawk games, but it’s worth noting that this game is far from SKATE. It’s much arider, and the level of realism can easily make you turn away. It probably will. Your first Session could be the last time doing it. However, the accomplishment you’ll experience by completing tricks and beating grinds is truly amazing if you persevere. There are many annoyances and lots of them, but if you’re willing to invest the effort to become proficient, Session gets along with you.
